From Adults to Teens and Everything In Between

From Adults to Teens and Everything In Between

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Getting To Know You...Part Seven

Today we are interviewing Colleen Scott

FF: How long have you been writing?

I have loved writing since elementary school. I started writing fiction about ten years ago. It started with an idea that woke me up in the middle of the night. Three novels later, I can comfortably say, I’m addicted.

FF: What genre do you write in?

I write for the CBA. Most of my books are romantic suspense, but the first book I wrote could is more of a romantic comedy.

FF: Tell us a little bit about your story in the anthology.

The title of the story is The “I Do” Blues. It’s about a woman who is engaged to marry one man, but is in love with another. She has lost her family, and will do anything to keep the family ranch.

When her first love comes to town to walk her down the aisle, she must make a crucial decision. Marry someone you don’t love and keep your family memories and property, or marry the man you love, and lose it all.

FF: Are you currently working on a novel?

Yes, and I’m having a lot of fun. The title of the book is A Matter Of Conviction. It’s about a woman who is thrown in prison for a crime she didn’t commit. When she escapes prison she unknowingly accepts help from a ex-convict out on parole. Together, they must evade the police and find out who really committed the murder she was convicted for.

FF: Best/worst advice you’ve received?

The best advice I’ve received is to write the nifty two-fifty. The first conference I went to I attended a class offered by James Scott Bell. He recommended writing at least two hundred fifty words a day. When I follow this advice I usually end up writing a whole lot more. The worst advice? That’s a hard one. When faced with negative comments or unhelpful advice, I try to see if I can learn from it. If not, I disregard it.

FF: Any other information you want your readers to know?

Currently, I don’t have a website or blog. But as things progress, that will be in the works. I am on facebook, and I also enjoy hearing from readers at cscott36@juno.com.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Getting To Know You....Part Six

Today we are interviewing Erin Millar.

FF: How long have you been writing?

I wrote my first story when I was seven, for a reading group project in first grade. I had always loved reading and making up stories before then, but I think that's when I realized that it was also fun to write them down. It was really all downhill from there

FF: What genre do you write in?

Typically young adult, but I've also written some things that could probably classify more as literary or commercial fiction. Regardless, my protagonists tend to be teenagers. The project I'm working on currently is a young adult dystopian

FF: Tell us a little bit about your story in the anthology.

It's very nerdy. It's set at an all-encompassing fandom convention in the middle of summer. The story is told from a girl named Beth's point of view. She doesn't really want to be there, but was forced to go by her friends, because they've always gone. And then she meets this guy who's volunteering for the convention and isn't nearly as comfortable with his nerdiness as she is

I got the idea due to the fact that I'm on the staff for an online-based nonprofit social activism group called the Harry Potter Alliance. There was a convention in Florida this summer that most of the staff went to, but I wasn't able to make it. Listening to everyone talk about their plans and excitement about it got me thinking about conventions and general nerdiness. This is what happens when I embrace my own nerdiness more than I usually do

FF: Are you currently working on a novel?

I am. It's a young adult dystopian. I'm currently revising it to get it ready to send out to agents. I'm also writing the first draft of another installment of the project I'm revising. I'm trying to focus more on the revisions, though, but I've always found that I do better if I have at least one thing to just write a first draft of. First drafts require far less energy than revisions

FF: Best/worst advice you’ve received?

The best advice I've received is to keep going. Of course there are a lot of times when you just want to stop, or give up, or move on to that shinier idea, but you'll never getting anything accomplished if you don't try to focus. The worst advice I've received...I don't know if I've ever gotten strickly bad writing advice. I guess the worst advice would be that taking my writing so seriously is a waste of time. But it's not like I listen to anyone who tells me that kind of stuff anyway

FF: Any other information you want your readers to know?

Let's see...I have a BA in Creative Writing from Ohio Northern University and have lived in Columbus my entire life, excepting the time I spent at college. I work a boring day job in order to pay for my nerdy habits. Because I really am a nerd--I mean, I've read Harry Potter a ridiculous number of times and have way too much Potter paraphernalia. I'm on the volunteer staff of the Harry Potter Alliance, which is great fun, and I write freelance theatre articles and reviews for the Columbus, OH edition of Examiner.com. I'm also an Irish dancer and I play handbells in the choir at my church. You can find me on Twitter @ErinLMillar.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Getting to Know You...Part Five

Today we are interviewing Michele Buchholz.

FF: How long have you been writing?
My journey started four and a half years ago after my oldest son was born. I’ve always loved to read, and being a stay at home mom I burned through our small town library pretty fast. Throughout my life I’ve taken creative writing classes and literature studies, even tried my hand at poetry. One day, I was conversing with my husband about how bored I was, because let’s face it, a baby doesn’t offer much interaction for an adult who’s used to working full time. And did I mention we’d relocated 1200 miles away from anyone I knew, thanks to the hubs new job. So, smart man that he is, he suggested I write something for a change.

FF: What genre do you write in?
I took my love of historical romances and wove in a mystery. I absolutely love getting lost in history. Dreaming of a simpler time coupled with the glitz and glamour bestowed upon the romanticized peerage. I grew up sharing, discussing and solving mysteries with my grandmother. She instilled in me a deep love of literature; some of my earliest memories are reading Go Dog Go with her. And isn’t everyone just mesmerized by the party tree at the end of the book?

FF: Tell us a little bit about your story in the anthology.
“Washed Ashore” is about bored and lonely Lady Lenora Brightly. Ensconced at her family’s island estate in the Northern English Isles she discovers a ship and a naked man wrecked on the rocks outside her private harbor. As a shipwrecked spy, Nathanial must decide how deeply to embroil his rescuing angel in her father’s world of espionage. A dance of intellect begins as the two ensnare each other in a web of secrets and attraction. Through intrigue and deception they work together to smuggle him off the island under the Royal Guard’s nose. Lenora pins all her hopes on him. Will he deliver her the story book ending she desires?

FF: Are you currently working on a novel?
Yes, a historical romance set in 1813 England. Nineteen year old Lady Elena St. John has spent the last three years running an impoverished barony and searching for a hidden family treasure. She is plagued by the ghost of Lady Katherine, the one who devised the secret, complete with clues, though the apparition refuses to give up any answers. Enter Lord James Stewart, Earl of Richmond, who had inherited the barony upon the death of Elena’s grandfather during his decade of absence from England. On the run from the match-making machinations of the Ton he escapes to this forgotten barony. Frustration mounts as Elena, desperate to hide her family’s smuggling business, deflects James’ curiosity with the legendary hidden treasure. They embark on a journey of discovery following the clues to the treasure and each other’s hearts.

FF: Best/worst advice you’ve received?
Best advice, I’d have to say is this quote, “Writing is more about re-writing and editing.” Every time I’m ready to give up and bang my head on my laptop, I’ve reminded myself the phoenix always rises from the ashes. I’ve found that it’s fairly easy to get the bones of the story out on the page. The hard part is sitting through the editing process and putting your work out there for someone else to critique. You have to be very open to change and more change. Fine tuning, re-working and completely deleting your ‘darlings’ has been the toughest on me.


I am an avid reader of Historical Romance and lover of mystery. Reading and writing are my favorite pastimes. Whether by the fireplace on a cold winter’s night or soaking up the hot summer sun, I find the opportunity to indulge in imagination. I am married to a very supportive and patient engineer who corrals our two miniature gentlemen-in-training, for which I am very grateful.

Stat Counter